dynes_098_cs.jpg Event on 5/4/06 in Oakland.
University of California President Dr. Robert Dynes in his office at UC headquarters, 1111 Franklin Street, Oakland. Robert C. Dynes, a physicist and an expert on semiconductors and superconductors, is the 18th president of the University of California, assuming those responsibilities on Oct. 2, 2003.
Chris Stewart / The Chronicle MANDATORY CREDIT FOR PHOTOG AND SF CHRONICLE/ -MAGS OUT

Photo: Chris Stewart

dynes_098_cs.jpg Event on 5/4/06 in Oakland.
University of...

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dynes_098_cs.jpg Event on 5/4/06 in Oakland.
University of California President Dr. Robert Dynes in his office at UC headquarters, 1111 Franklin Street, Oakland. Robert C. Dynes, a physicist and an expert on semiconductors and superconductors, is the 18th president of the University of California, assuming those responsibilities on Oct. 2, 2003.
Chris Stewart / The Chronicle
Ran on: 11-14-2006
UC President Robert Dynes convened an advisory council on medical school enrollment.
Ran on: 11-14-2006
UC President Robert Dynes convened an advisory council on medical school enrollment.

Photo: Chris Stewart

dynes_098_cs.jpg Event on 5/4/06 in Oakland.
University of...

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA / New med school part of UC plan to boost health care graduates

An ambitious long-range plan will be introduced today by the University of California to increase medical school enrollment by nearly 1,000 students to counter the state's growing shortage of physicians.

It will be the first substantive growth in UC's five medical schools in three decades and includes a proposal to add a sixth at UC Riverside -- the first new one in 40 years.

The plan is for the Riverside medical school to open in 2012 with 64 students and grow to have 384 medical students and 160 graduate students by 2021.

"Most kids who want to become doctors in California have to leave the state because we don't have enough slots for them to train," UC Provost Rory Hume said. "And we have major shortages in health care in California as a whole. There is a very substantial need."

The plan will be presented this week to the university's governing Board of Regents, meeting in Los Angeles.

The new Riverside medical school would be part of a proposed 34 percent increase in UC medical school enrollments, from 2,564 this year to 3,429 in 2020. That means the university would graduate 250 more new doctors a year.

But the plan does not address just physician shortages. The report from an advisory council convened by UC President Robert Dynes says the university also needs to increase enrollment in nursing, pharmacy, public health and veterinary medicine to address shortfalls in those areas.

The report says that as the population grows and gets older, and existing physicians also age, there will be a shortage of up to 17,000 doctors in California by 2015.

Nursing shortages are already at crisis level, and California is projected to have a shortfall of 116,600 nurses by 2020, the report says.

Besides adding another medical school, regents will be asked to endorse the idea of increasing enrollment at existing health care schools through new construction and added teaching programs. In veterinary medicine, the advisory council is recommending that a new school be opened on an unspecified campus. The existing veterinary school at UC Davis would also be expanded. The recommendation is for a 95 percent increase in veterinary student enrollments -- from 524 students to 1,023 -- by 2020-22.

In nursing graduate schools, the council recommends even greater growth -- of 130 percent in master's degree student enrollments by 2020, from 773 students to 1,812, and a 425 percent increase in doctoral degree students, from 80 students to 420. In addition, it recommends developing new undergraduate programs to increase the pool of students entering the graduate programs.

In pharmacy, it recommends a nearly 100 percent increase, from 596 students to 1,164, by 2020. In public health, the council is recommending a 180 percent rise in master's students enrollments from 636 students to 1,789 students by 2020 and a 180 percent increase in doctoral student enrollments from 279 students to 785 students.

The new medical school at Riverside is a major part of the plan. It would emphasize work in areas like genomics, nanotechnology and vector-borne diseases, and would also focus on diseases and health issues relevant to its region and partner with local hospitals and clinics.

"There is already a need ... but with the growth rate we are anticipating in this region, we don't have a lot of potential of fulfilling that need unless something is done," said UC Riverside Assistant Chancellor Cindy Giorgio.

A committee of the regents will hear the report today and is expected to recommend approval of the first phase of medical school planning by the full Board of Regents later this week.

"It is a big step for UC Riverside," Giorgio said.

The proposal gives Riverside the green light to hire a dean, develop a curriculum and a business plan, and plan for construction.

Big goals
The University of California wants to expand
enrollment in a range of medical fields by 2020 to meet the state's projected
needs. Here is a look at current enrollment and UC's goals:
Current By 2020
Medical school 2,564 3,429
Nursing (master's) 773 1,812
Nursing (doctoral) 80 420
Pharmacy 596 1,164
Public health (master's) 636 1,789
Public health (doctoral) 279 785
Veterinary* 524 1,023